1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to luminaries and to methods for producing an association of a luminaire with a person, place or thing such as an activity by forming at least a portion of such luminaries with a pattern reminiscent of such person, place or thing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A material usually referred to in the art as diamond tread plate is commonly employed in the manufacture of truck bed tool boxes, slip-resistant treads, truck beds and the like, the material typically being formed of a metal such as aluminum. The known material is available from manufacturers such as Hadco Aluminum of Jamacia, N.Y. 11433 as sheet material of varying thicknesses such as a thickness of 0.036 inch in a bright anodized aluminum finish. Patterns available on such sheet material include four-sided geometrical figures such as are known as diamonds, such diamonds typically having sides of equal length with two opposite included angles being acute angles and with the other two opposite included angles being obtuse angles. The diamonds each have a longitudinal axis extending between the acute angles and constituting a length-wise dimension and a lateral axis extending between the obtuse angles and constituting a width-wise dimension, the length-wise dimension being preferably greater than the width-wise dimension. In preferred embodiments, the length-wise dimension is at least twice the width-wise dimension and greater including three to four times relative dimensions. In a preferred pattern, rows of said diamonds are seen to have each diamond disposed parallel to each other within a given row with alternating rows having diamonds angled in the same sense, such as at 45° to a line joining adjacent end points of said diamonds, other rows of parallel diamonds being disposed in an interdigitated arrangement with said first-mentioned rows, the diamonds in the other rows being angled at 90° to the diamonds in the first-mentioned rows. One preferred pattern of a suitable aluminum diamond tread plate designated as 5086-H34 tread plate is the C-102 pattern, this material being available in thickness ranges suitable to a practice of the invention.
Diamond tread plate patterned material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,244,335 and 5,676,087 for use as a material from which surfaces intended to be walked upon can be formed, the diamond pattern providing a non-slip surface. United States design patent D349,091 discloses a toolbox mountable to a truck bed and walls of the bed, the toolbox having walls formed of a diamond tread plate material. The truck bed toolbox of this and other design patents typically have surfaces that can be walked upon with a reduced chance of slippage due to the provision of the diamond pattern so disclosed. Diamond tread plate patterns are therefore known and are primarily intended for use in the formation of slip-resistant surfaces on articles of manufacture such as tread plates, toolboxes and the like.
The invention utilizes diamond tread plate patterns and materials having such patterns formed thereon in the manufacture of luminaries and particularly shoplights such as are suspended from ceilings of work spaces to illuminate such spaces, the diamond pattern material forming at least portions of a luminaire channel and/or reflector, certain embodiments of the invention being configured with at least portions of the reflector comprising at least a portion of the channel and functioning as such as a housing for the mounting of lamp holders, lamping and the like thereon or thereto. Formation of at least portions of a luminaire from a diamond tread plate material and/or pattern evokes an association with an activity or a person, place or thing, such association providing a feeling on the part of an observer definable as pleasing to such observer so that the observer develops a desire to utilize a luminaire so configured in a space to be illuminated and particularly in a space within which an activity occurs that can have an association with a particular person, place or thing. In particular, a luminaire so configured is evocative of motor sports activities such as stock car racing due to association of a luminaire so patterned and so formed with automotive activities and/or activities undertaken by individuals who favor motor sports as pleasurable leisure time and/or professional pursuits.